Paint The Park Purple set for Sunday at Evergreen Park

Paint The Park Purple – Race For The Cure goes Sunday at Evergreen Park, with proceeds going to the battle against pancreatic cancer. Their goal is to raise $5,000.

Admission is free and placing bets is optional.

There are races tonight with post time at 6 p.m.

Post time for Paint The Park Purple Sunday is 1 p.m.

It ends with a frisbee toss, which can be purchased for $5 each, and the winner gets two tickets to an Edmonton Oilers game and a $1,000 voucher to Marlin Travel.

Marketing and Sponsorship Manager at Evergreen Park Don Moon (pictured) says this weekend puts a wrap on one of the most successful seasons of horse racing at Gordon Badger Stadium.

“This year, we really noticed an uptick in handle – the amount of money bet. I think that’s a bit of a reflection on the fact the economy is starting to turn around a bit in Grande Prairie. So, people are willing to gamble a little bit more I guess, and bet more on the ponies.”

The horses at Evergreen had an economic impact of roughly $2 million on the Peace Region this summer.

“We’ve had some really good crowds. We started out July 8th with a great crowd. Derby Day was another great crowd. And then throughout the year, lots of families and lots of new faces, and lots of people betting,” Moon explained.

Also included in Sunday’s Paint The Park Purple day is a 50-50 ticket sale and silent auction. Items up for grabs at the silent auction include a purple, signed Marcel Dionne Los Angeles Kings hockey jersey and purple jewelry provided by Curry’s Jewelers.